


Baby, you are my home

by purple_is_great



Series: Nursey Week 2021 [4]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Future, Future Fic, M/M, NHL Player William "Dex" Poindexter, Nursey Week, Nursey Week 2021, POV Alternating, Tags to be added, is it future fic if it's like a year after canon ends?, warning for homophobia and panic attacks in future chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29355198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purple_is_great/pseuds/purple_is_great
Summary: It's Nursey and Dex's last year at Samwell, and they're both wishing it would never end.Nursey doesn't know if he wants to study more or write a book, and joining the NHL won't be easy for Dex, who wants to have a good career but most importantly wants to make his boyfriend happy.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Series: Nursey Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150895
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	1. Now what?

**Author's Note:**

> I have no consistent update schedule, but chapters are up as soon as I get them written. Kudos is appreciated, and comments make my day!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [prepnursey](https://prepnursey.tumblr.com/)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek Nurse has no idea what to do. His boyfriend's signing with an NHL team, and he can't even decide if he wants to go to grad school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for day 4 of Nursey Week 2021, Future
> 
> This completely got away from me, so it will be chaptered, I just wanted to get this first bit published today.

Derek Nurse has no idea what to do. Not in the immediate sense, he knows that he needs to go to class and to practice, and get his thesis done and try to reach the Frozen Four. And hang out with his friends - and his boyfriend, because he has one now, after he and Dex finally managed to confess their feelings. But really, having close friends and a boyfriend just makes the big question even more complicated. 

What is he going to do after he graduates? He supposes that everyone has this problem - no, actually the other Frogs don’t. Sure, Dex is still thinking about which team to sign with, but both him and Chowder are joining the National Hockey League. Don’t get him wrong, he’s so excited for both of them and not at all jealous. No, he doesn’t think he wants his job to be hockey, but he is a bit jealous that they both knew what they wanted to do, and they got that. 

So, Derek decides to make a list. He gets a nice cup of chai and settles at his desk, looking thoughtfully out of the window. He takes out a ratty composition notebook bought on some Stop’n’Shop run (less pressure than a nice notebook, like the beautiful green one Dex made him (by hand!), or the one his mama brought back from Florence) and gets to writing.

**_What to do after graduation?_ **

No, that’s way too much pressure.

**_What do I want after graduation?_** **_  
_ **

It’s not the best phrasing, but it will have to do.

_Things I know I want_

  * _staying close to Dex_


  * _hard to do before he decides where to sign_
  * _preferably other friends nearby_



So, about the location he’ll have to talk with Dex. They’ve already laid some plans about maybe living together, but it all depends on whether the team trusts him to live by himself with a “roommate” who isn’t a part of the team. If not, they’ll work something out. Jack and Bitty managed a relationship despite living an hour apart for two years, hadn't they?

And so, the question becomes:

_Jobs??_

  * _English degree_


  * _publishing house might hire?_


  * _try to get something published_
  * _retail, barista, etc. to get some money in_



Or. His mama is Dr. Nurse and mom has a master’s in Business. They’ve never made him feel pressured to study after college, but he’s not going to pretend that wasn’t what he always imagined himself doing when he was a kid. 

_Grad school_

  * _expensive, takes time_


  * _could give access to more, better paying jobs_


  * _stuck in one place for at least two years, more if doing doctorate_



Derek’s always enjoyed English in school, and he doesn’t share Bitty’s desperation to be free of studying, or Ransom’s anxiety about studying further. But does that mean he should go to grad school? Is _I like it_ enough of a reason to spend years and tens of thousands of dollars? With a sigh, he closes the notebook. 


	2. Not yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William Poindexter has no idea what to do. He should be excited about joining the NHL, but really he's just hoping his time at Samwell will never end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a little longer before new updates, because the only thing I have written after this doesn't happen needs at least a chapter (if not two) before it.
> 
> tiny edit on 17.02.2021 because I don't know shit about hockey and only now realised players have agents, not managers.

William Poindexter has no idea what to do. Or well, he knows that right now he needs to finish up his coding project, fix the Haus water heater (again), be a good captain to his team on and off the ice and perhaps most importantly, he needs to be a good boyfriend and a good friend. 

It’s the start of his last semester at Samwell, and he doesn’t want it to end. At Taddie tour he wasn’t sure if he would fit in at Samwell, and it’s taken him the better part of these four years to realise that yes, he does. Samwell is a haven away from the real world, a place where he will be accepted and loved if he just does his work right and shows that he cares. 

He’s scared, because it’s his senior year at Samwell, and there have been enough scouts talking to him that he’s needed to get an agent. He knows that he is good enough to make it to professional hockey, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to finish his NCAA career with a bang. Bitty had led them to a win last year, and even if Will can’t be out while doing it, he still wants to give his team another win. Give Chowder a win to make the Sharks give him a good contract, because they’re definitely interested. Give Nursey a win to make sure he’ll end his hockey career on a good note.

And he’s not going to pretend that he doesn’t want the win for himself, too. Of course it would be a validation of his captaincy, that he belonged on the team and was good for them, but a little voice in his mind talks about how a Frozen Four win could mean a better contract, with less risk of being sent down to the farm team. It could mean more options to choose from, to stay as close to Nursey as possible. And the money would mean that maybe his younger siblings wouldn’t have to work all summer to get to go to college. 

So, Will is going to captain his team the best he can, he’s going to play hard so he can fulfill his dream. He’s going to work hard on his classes, because he needs that safety net of a degree, just in case things don’t work out, or if he blows his knee in his first game in an NHL jersey.

And he’s going to be a good friend and a good boyfriend, because he loves the people around him, and he wants to be there for them because they are there for him.


	3. One In Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will gets a call. It's a good thing he's got Nursey.

Nursey’s rattling around the locker room trying to find his cap when Will’s agent calls him. “Hey, I gotta take this call, Der. I’ll be in the lounge”, he calls off to the other side of the room and answers as he’s closing the door behind him.

“William! Is it a bad time to talk?” James’s enthusiastic voice floods from the speaker.

Will perches down on a sofa in the lounge, noting with relief that it’s much nicer than the Haus couch. “No, it’s okay. I was just leaving the locker room after practice.”

“Good, good! From what I hear your season is going very well, and you seem like a great captain.”

“Thank you! I’ve got big boots to fill, but I think we have a good chance of making it to the Frozen Four even without last year’s seniors.” Dex smiles, relaxing. He misses the old guys, he really ought to call Ollie and Wicks and suggest they come see a game. Bitty’s probably too busy becoming a celebrity on Food Network, but maybe he’d have a free afternoon. 

“Right, right! Speaking of last year’s graduating class, you made history last year, what with Eric Bittle being the first out NCAA captain. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I heard something about a Samwell slogan being ‘One in four, maybe more’?”

Will almost drops the phone, but James doesn’t even seem to notice, just dithering away about how Will probably knows more queer people than just Jack and Bitty. His other hand is tapping an erratic pattern on his thigh, and he’s grasping the phone with white fingers. “Uh, yeah?” he manages to say when James has gone quiet. 

“So, would you be interested in looking at their relations with You Can Play as one potential factor in picking a team? Of course the ice time, contract length and pay are more important, but it’s good to find a locker room you fit in, you get me?” James is asking him, but Will’s mind feels like it’s racing at the speed of light but still his conscious thoughts are slow like he’s thinking through molasses.

James doesn’t know. He can’t know. “Yeah, sure. Um, I have to go, but can you email me? Or call me later?” Will croaks out. He barely manages to stop himself from hanging up right away, muttering some response to James’ confused goodbye. 

The moment the call disconnects, he drops his phone, hands shaking. He wants to break something, but all he can do is slump off the couch and curl up on the floor, chest heaving.

_X_

“Dex? Are you here?” Derek calls out to the seemingly empty lounge. He’s carrying both his own hockey bag and the one Dex left in his rush to answer the call. Just as Derek’s starting to leave, he hears a ragged sob and realises that his boyfriend is hugging his knees and hyperventilating on the floor. 

He rushes to Dex’s side, dropping to his knees. Touch has always helped him feel grounded, but for Dex it doesn’t help at all, so he keeps some distance between them. “Can you hear me, Will?” he asks, making a conscious effort to keep his own breathing even. 

There’s no response, so Derek goes on:“Ok, let’s just breathe now. Try to match my breathing, Dex.” Derek counts Dex through breathing exercises, and as Dex starts to get his breathing under control Derek can see his tights fists begin to relax. 

After a while, Dex pushes up to sit with his legs curled underneath him, and says, voice rough: “Thanks.”

Derek smiles. “I’m here for you, babe. Do you want a hug?” he asks, and immediately gets almost bowled over by 6’2’’ of D-man. Derek holds on tight as Dex tucks his head against his chest. 

Dex is holding on with two hands to the back of Derek’s SMH hoodie, and Derek untangles one of his hands to run his fingers through Dex’s hair. He can feel Dex melt into the touch, but he still feels wound up. “Do you want to talk about it?” he suggests gently.

Dex makes a whining noise. “I should, probably, but not right now.”  
  
“That’s okay. I’m here whenever you feel ready. But also, this floor isn’t that comfortable, so could we maybe move this to the couch?”

That gets a laugh out of Dex, who lets him loose and says: “Let’s head to the Haus. I promised I’d make dinner, and I think I need to knead some dough.”


	4. I Should Call Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will talks with the Frogs and makes plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not trust my proofreading abilities right now, so please let me know if any typos or grammatical errors slipped me by (or if my limited knowledge of all things American failed me)

Once everyone’s eaten and starting to wander off to play a Mario Kart tournament, Will taps Nursey’s knee and says: “You go on, I want to talk with Chowder but I’ll explain before we go to sleep, okay?”

Nursey brushes a kiss on his cheek and stands up. “Yeah, totally. I’ll go make sure the others don’t riot when Hops wants to show off that he can actually stay on Rainbow Road.” 

Chowder’s at the door of the kitchen when Will clears his throat and asks him: “Hey, do you have a bit to talk about signing and stuff?”

“Yeah, of course!” Chowder responds, coming back to the table and sitting down. He’s watching Will with expectant eyes, and Will realises he’s been just sitting there in silence. He clears his throat and idly picks at his napkin.He really doesn’t know how to explain this, so he starts with a question instead: “Have you ever talked about You Can Play with your agent?”

“Well, I told her that I wanted a locker room culture that wouldn’t be shitty about the fact that a lot of my friends are queer and that my girlfriend’s bi, but once the Sharks got interested I didn’t really think about it that much, since they’ve been really good with diversity in hockey”, Chowder responds, thankfully not asking where this question is coming from. 

Will nods, trying to gather his thoughts. “And she didn’t find it weird?”

Chowder shakes his head, about to reply, but now Will’s on a roll. “I’m scared, C. My agent asked me today if I wanted to think about You Can Play activity as one factor in signing, and I just panicked and told him I had to go.” He buries his face in his hands, taking a deep breath. “God, that probably made him even more suspicious.”

“Dex?” Chowder says, eyes full of concern. “You’ve talked about James before, and I doubt he meant anything by it, but he really should have waited for you to ask for help finding factors to decide by.”

Huh. Chowder’s probably right, as he usually is. Will hadn’t even stopped to think about James’ motivation, but did the motivation really matter here? Besides, he still had plenty of time to decide. “I should call him back, shouldn’t I?” he says, going to stand up and go do exactly that. Chowder grabs his arm and pulls him back down.

“This is really not my area of expertise, but are you sure you’ll be fine calling him so soon after the panic attack he caused?” Chowder asks.

“Does it matter? I need to call and explain, because right now he either thinks I’m gay or super homophobic and I don’t even know which one’s worse.” Will says, hands clenching into agitated fists. 

Chowder’s mouth twists in a sad smile. “I don’t think you calling him at 7pm is going to fix anything,” he says. “But maybe you should talk to Jack? He has more experience with all of these things.”

Will sighs. “I think I’m just going to have an early night and try and figure it out tomorrow,” he says, suddenly realising how tired he feels. “But thank you for talking it out with me.”

_X_

Louis is in the middle of a passionate explanation about why he prefers Abba songs in the original English when Derek sees Chowder and Dex leaving the kitchen. Chowder’s patting Dex on the back and smiling, while Dex looks absolutely exhausted. As he’s watching, Dex heads up the stairs while Chowder seems to be coming over to see the commotion on the couch. 

Derek stands up and Chowder instantly launches into his seat before Louis can start complaining about Hops sitting in his lap. (Apparently Hops wouldn’t agree to swap, because he couldn’t play properly with someone sitting on him.) “He okay?” Derek whispers to Chowder, who instantly nods. “Yeah. Just tired.” Derek pats him on the shoulder as thanks, making his way to the kitchen as Bully chirps Louis about him being only barely taller than Bitty. 

_X_

“Hey, babe. I made us some hot chocolate,” Derek says, holding up the two mugs. 

Dex looks up from where he’s sitting on their bed, wrapped in a comforter. He pulls out his earbuds and says: “Oh, thank you! Um, did Chowder tell you what we talked about?” 

“Not really, no,” Derek says, coming to sit beside Dex. He carefully passes Dex the mug and leans on his shoulder.

Dex takes a thoughtful sip from his hot chocolate. He turns a little so he’s looking straight at Nursey. “I want to sign with a team where I won’t have to hear homophobic shit all the time, but when my agent asked me about it, well,” He laughs, a loud, ragged sound. “You saw the panic attack.”

“Oh,” is all Derek can think of to say, and almost spills his hot chocolate as he attempts to grab Dex’s empty hand. 

“It feels weird, because _yes_ I want to think about it, but Chowder made me realise that it was something I should have asked James about it, not the other way around. I’m going to call Jack and ask for advice tomorrow,” Dex says, looking determined the same way he does when they’re trying to get the winning goal in the third period, the look that says to the other team: “Come and try me.” Even though his hair is messy and he looks tired, this is the Dex Derek knows so well, the one with fire in his eyes and determination coursing through his veins.

Derek nods. “That sounds like a good plan. But right now, you look tired and I really want to give you a hug. So, cuddling?”

Dex looks like he’s about to tackle Derek, but remembers to put away their mugs first before they fall onto the bed, wriggling into a comfortable position. Derek wraps his arms around Dex, who sighs contently, clearly already on the way to falling asleep. Derek kisses his hair and whispers: “We’ll figure it out.” He doesn’t know who he’s trying to convince more, himself or Dex, but right now is really not the time to start unloading his concerns about what to do after graduation. 


End file.
